Detective Pikachu Movie Reportedly Eyeing The Rock, Ryan Reynolds, And More Action Stars
Sadly, Danny DeVito is not on the list.
The Detective Pikachu movie starts shooting early next year, so obviously they need an actor in place to voice the Pokemon. And while the Pikachu of the anime has a cutesy, high-pitched voice, the movie is looking for a proper action star to take on the role.
According to That Hashtag Show, the four names being eyed up by Legendary are Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Mark Wahlberg, and Hugh Jackman. All four of those are well-known for their action roles, and not the kind of actors that spring to mind when thinking of Pikachu.
That is presumably the exact reason they're being considered, since having something like Pikachu with a strong Boston accent would just add to the comedy of the film.
As the site reports, none of these have actually been approached for the part yet, but it's an indicator of the direction the movie - which is being helmed by Rob Letterman - is going in. The movie is already an irreverent project, being set up as a live-action film and featuring a Sherlock Holmes-inspired Pikachu, and this just adds to that vibe.
Any of these would be an interesting choice, though seeing Johnson take on the role of Pikachu could be particularly great. He is The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment, after all.
The news will, however, disappoint anyone hoping that Danny DeVito would get the gig, which is just about everyone who has seen this video:
Who do you want to see voice Detective Pikachu? Let us know down in the comments.